I just found sweet almond oil in a hair gel product my stylist used on me (after I ended up with a red sunburn-like reaction on my neck). Yay. (We both missed this one on the micro-print ingredient list.) Someone else posted a photo on Facebook that some Dial foaming hand soaps have sweet almond oil as well.

Professional-grade artist paints often use walnut oil as their base. Beware of art studios and some art galleries - even though we got rid of the paint in our house (after a scary aerosol reaction), I had similar but lesser reactions in an art gallery/studio as well, where they paint in off-hours. Museum galleries should be just fine, it's the ones where they paint and display in the same building that could be problematic.

My husband has since switched to linseed oil paints. So much for the old myth that we have to eat (or touch) our allergen to have life-threatening reactions.

Beware when cleaning used reptile enclosures... the sand finds it way into every little crevice. Took me less than 5 seconds to find some in the tank (it was supposed to be cleaned and sanitized), and 30 seconds for the runny nose and environmental-type symptoms to start.

Professional-grade artist paints often use walnut oil as their base. Beware of art studios and some art galleries - even though we got rid of the paint in our house (after a scary aerosol reaction), I had similar but lesser reactions in an art gallery/studio as well, where they paint in off-hours. Museum galleries should be just fine, it's the ones where they paint and display in the same building that could be problematic.

Would this be common knowledge among artists?

I'm wondering because ds' school has a visual arts program. The high school is not peanut/nut free as far as I know, but they are allergy aware in most respects.

Professional-grade artist paints often use walnut oil as their base. Beware of art studios and some art galleries - even though we got rid of the paint in our house (after a scary aerosol reaction), I had similar but lesser reactions in an art gallery/studio as well, where they paint in off-hours. Museum galleries should be just fine, it's the ones where they paint and display in the same building that could be problematic.

Would this be common knowledge among artists?

Not necessarily. Many artists buy paint not knowing what type of oil base it has and may mix it with another type of oil to thin it. (You are supposed to use the same oil as the base.) A local art studio here has warnings that they use walnut oil in the studio except on Wednesdays because they had a student with nut allergies, although I still couldn't enter the building that day without wheezing and/or feeling ill. It lingers and sticks to everything.

I doubt schools would use professional grade oil paints (at $30 per little tube), but I'd check the oil base of the paints they are using, because you never know, and it isn't always clear on the label. My husband switched to another professional-grade paint that uses linseed (flaxseed) oil, so nut-free options do exist. Other paints use safflower and sunflower oil as their base.

EW

Great list. Please keep in mind though, peanuts are NOT nuts, they are in the legume family. I'm highly allergic to peanuts and sensitive to all legumes. But I have zero allergies to true nuts (almonds, walnuts, etc). I want to add that, as I have not seen anyone clarify it yet. :-)